Pujanza, Norte, Rioja 2018

I was really looking forward to the 2018 Norte, the top-of-the-range red from a north-facing plot in Laguardia at some 720 meters in altitude, from a vintage with similarities to the 2016 I love. The wine has a rare combination of power and elegance, of ripeness and freshness that denotes a special place. Like the rest of reds, it fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, with malolactic in those same containers followed by 12 months in French oak barrels (slightly less than in the past) and eight months in concrete. I caught this wine in a slightly awkward moment; the oak was quite noticeable and there was a bit of volatility. It was bottled later because of COVID-19, so it had been bottled a couple of weeks before I tasted it. In any case, San Pedro didn't use any new oak in this wine or, as a matter of fact, in any of the other wines, and the time in barrel was also shortened in this wine. The palate has the balance, the freshness and the depth to overcome this, and I'm sure this wine is going to bloom with a little more time in bottle. The wine is not a powerhouse; this is a more delicate year. With a couple of hours in the glass, the wine shows a lot more poise and harmony, which only reinforced my beliefs. 11,000 bottles produced. It will be released in April 2021. Every year this wine is released in April.